The seven chords of C Major with guitar diagrams, the progressions you will meet most, capo options, and free songs to play in this key.
The C Major scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Build a chord on each note using only the scale's own notes and you get the seven diatonic chords below. Songs in C Major are made mostly of these, with the I, IV and V doing most of the work.
With sevenths: Cmaj7 (Imaj7), Dm7 (iim7), Em7 (iiim7), Fmaj7 (IVmaj7), G7 (V7), Am7 (vim7), Bm7b5 (viim7b5). Tap any chord for every voicing, the notes and how to play it.
| Numerals | In C Major | Heard in |
|---|---|---|
| I V vi IV | C G Am F | the pop progression |
| I IV V | C F G | three-chord songs, blues and folk |
| vi IV I V | Am F C G | the other pop progression |
| I vi IV V | C Am F G | the 50s progression |
| ii V I | Dm G C | jazz standards |
Write one out in the free Chord Progression Chart, or train your ear to hear them with Name the Progression.
C Major is one of the open-chord keys: its main chords sit near the nut, so no capo is needed. A capo still gives you other voicings of the same key: capo 3 with A shapes, or capo 5 with G shapes.
Every key and fret is on the guitar capo chart, and the Chord Sheet Maker rewrites any song's chords for a capo or a new key.
Free chord sheets on Guitar Scribble served in C Major, chords over the lyrics, printable.
26 more in the chord sheet library: open any song and pick C from its key switcher.
Relative minor: A minor (same notes and chords, a different home). Parallel minor: C minor (same root, a different mood).
All free, in the browser. The Chord Sheet Maker transposes any sheet into C Major with one click.
The seven chords built on the C Major scale are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim. As roman numerals: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°.
A minor. It shares every note and every chord with C Major; the difference is which chord feels like home.
No. C Major is one of the open-chord keys, so its main chords are played near the nut without a capo. You can still use one: capo 3 with A shapes, or capo 5 with G shapes.
